As a founder member of Mystery Women in 1997, promoting Crime Fiction has always been my passion.
Following the closure of Mystery Women, a new group was formed on 30th January 2012 promoting crime fiction.
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Thursday, 22 September 2016

‘The Evolution of Fear’ by Paul E Hardisty

Published by Orenda Books,
5 May 2016. ISBN: 978-1-91063-324-3

Claymore
Striker is running for his life. He is a wanted man with a price on his head for
acts of terrorism he didn’t commit. Added to that, his best friend has been
murdered, the woman he loves, journalist Rania, has disappeared while following
a story about dirty dealings. She is in danger, and Striker must find her
before its too late. His search takes him to Cyprus and slap-bang into a
violent struggle between the Russian mafia, Greek Cypriot extremists and
Turkish developers cashing in on the tourism boom. In his search for Rania,
Clay has to deal with corrupt politicians and dangerous businessmen as well as
stay one step ahead of those from his past who want him dead.

The
writing is taut and gripping. Claymore Striker is an action hero with flaws –
he struggles with the dark deeds he has committed in the past, but he is brave,
loyal and fights against the injustices he sees around him. He keeps going
despite the dangers and a succession of injuries. The action is thrilling, and
at a breakneck pace, and the landscape in which the action is set is described
by the author so vividly you can feel the heat and taste the dust.

There
is also a message behind the story: how much damage we can do to the
environment as we pursue profit at any cost. It’s a message Paul E Hardisty is
qualified to deliver as he has spent many years working all over the world as a
hydrologist, engineer and environmental scientist.

But
the book wears its message lightly. Above all, it is a highly entertaining and
high-octane thriller.

The
Evolution of Fear is the second of a planned trilogy. I haven’t read the first,
The Abrupt Physics of Dying (though I
intend to now!), but I didn’t feel I had missed out too much, as anything I
felt I needed to know had been woven very cleverly into the story. Roll on
Claymore Striker number three.

------

Reviewer: Mary-Jane Riley

Paul Hardistyis
a writer, chartered environmental engineer, university professor, and
triathlete. He lives in Perth, Western Australia, with his wife Heidi, and sons
Zachary and Declan. His first novel, The
Abrupt Physics of Dying, has just been published by Orenda Books. It is a
story of greed, corruption, and the power of redemption.

Mary-Jane Riley wrote her first story on her newly acquired blue
Petite typewriter. She was eight. It was about a gang of children who had
adventures on mysterious islands, but she soon realised Enid Blyton had
cornered that particular market. So she wrote about the Wild West instead. When
she grew up she had to earn a living, and became a BBC radio talk show
presenter and journalist. She has covered many life-affirming stories, but also
some of the darkest events of the past two decades.
Then, in true journalistic style, she decided not to let the facts get in the
way of a good story and got creative. She wrote for women's magazines and small
presses. She formed WriteOutLoud with two writer friends to help charities get
their message across using their life stories. Now she is writing psychological
suspense, drawing on her experiences in journalism.The Bad Things by Mary-Jane Riley was
published by Harper Collins/Killer Reads. Her second book, After She Fell, also published by Killer Reads, is out on April
28th.
In her spare time Mary-Jane likes to walk the dog and eat a lot. Good job she
likes walking.

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About Me

From an early age I have been a lover of crime fiction. Discovering like minded people at my first crime conference at St Hilda’s Oxford in 1997, I was delighted when asked to join a new group for the promotion of female crime writers. In 1998 I took over the running of the group, which I did for the next thirteen years.
During that time I organised countless events promoting crime writers and in particular new writers. But apart from the sheer joy of reading, ‘I actually love books, not just the writing, the plot or the characters, but the sheer joy of holding a book has never abated for me. The greatest gift of my life has been the ability to read'.